XAnge’s Post

Not only in the north...

The Need for Music-Savvy Investors in the Nordics On this platform, I often delve into the intricacies of entrepreneurship in the music industry, particularly from a Nordic perspective. A recurring theme in my discussions is the crucial role of identifying, nurturing, and educating founders in this space. There's a glaring void when it comes to young founders overlooking the vast opportunities the music industry presents. However, a topic that doesn't get as much limelight is the investor perspective. In my quest for transparency, I've always been candid about Capella Entertainment AS's startup journey. While many startups shy away from revealing valuations, investments, and progress, the stark reality is that such information is scarce, especially in the Nordic music sector. While you might stumble upon high-level data related to major companies and M&As, even that is a rarity. To give you a glimpse: Capella Entertainment boasts 14 investors and has secured approximately 4 million NOK in investments over the past 18 months. While this might not seem monumental on a global scale, it's a significant feat for a nascent music-centric venture in the Nordics. But here's a thought-provoking fact: Out of our 14 investors, only one hails from the entertainment sector, and none from the music domain. Why this disparity? It's not a lack of interest from industry peers, but rather a shortage of potential investors in this niche. The few I know are already heavily invested, leaving little room for new ventures. For our upcoming round, we're collaborating with Folkeinvest, a platform that introduces startups to private investors. While this is a promising avenue, my heart yearns for more engagement from the music community. There's an urgent need for a paradigm shift. We must bridge the gap between music-savvy investors and budding music startups, fostering a culture that champions investment in music enterprises. Perhaps, in the not-so-distant future, we at Capella might pivot towards investing in other music ventures, playing our part in this much-needed transformation. #MusicIndustry #NordicEntrepreneurship #Investment #CapellaEntertainment #StartupJourney #MusicStartups #InvestorInsights #MusicInnovation

VC Ventech made an exit from French startup Believe, and now is looking for $225 million for his sixth fund. #Ventech, a leading early-stage #VC firm, just made waves with a strategic exit from #Believe, the French digital music powerhouse. Their initial investment in Believe bolstered the company's growth but also yielded an incredible return of €175 million for Ventech's 12% stake. This marks one of the largest VC exits in France in the past decade, boasting a staggering 36x return. Believe, under the visionary leadership of Denis Ladegaillerie, has been a driving force in empowering local artists worldwide. By distributing music to over 150 digital stores and streaming platforms, Believe has transformed the music industry's landscape. What's more, they ensure artists receive 100% of their earnings directly, revolutionizing the way artists monetize their craft. The consortium, comprising Denis Ladegaillerie, EQT Group, and TCV, acquired a significant portion of Believe's capital, including Ventech's stake. This move signals a new chapter for Believe, poised for further expansion and innovation in the digital music realm. Ventech's journey with Believe began in 2008 with an investment of $6.5 million. Alain Caffi, Founding Partner and Senior Advisor at Ventech, reminisces on their remarkable partnership, spanning from Believe's early days with €2 million in revenue to its current billion-dollar stature. Their belief in Denis Ladegaillerie's vision to reshape the music industry amidst digital disruptions has undoubtedly paid off handsomely. But that's not all, Ventech's success story extends beyond Believe. With over €900 million raised and more than 220 investments under its belt, Ventech has been a pivotal player in fostering digital innovation globally. Their impressive portfolio includes notable names like Vestiaire Collective, Ogury, and Withings (acquired by Nokia), among others. Now, Ventech is gearing up for its next chapter with the launch of its sixth fund, aiming for a target near €225 million. With a proven track record and an eye for transformative ventures, Ventech continues to shape the future of technology and investment. The article on Tech.eu in the first comment. Want to stay up to date with the market? Here my newsletter: - Linkedin: https://t.ly/s541W   - Substack: https://lnkd.in/dzfGJzmW

European nightlife is still finding its feet after lockdowns and pandemic restrictions - could tech save the disco? 🪩🕺 Nightlife may not be the most obvious target for venture funding. But the venture capital investment unit of German liquor company Mast-Jägermeister plans to prove the two go together like a dance floor and a beat. 🎵 🔊 Best Nights VC launched in 2021 and operates with an evergreen funding cycle, writing cheques between $300k and $1m. It has already invested in 14 companies across Europe and the US that it believes are ushering in a new era of nightlife and entertainment. “The idea is to explore what nightlife could look like, 2030 and beyond,” says Lorrain de Silva, Best Nights’ managing director. Read the full Sifted article to find out out how tech could make live entertainment easier, more inclusive and more enjoyable 👇 With insights from Alex Brees, founder of un:hurd and Mattia Franco, founder of Xceed.

To back unicorns 🦄, we must back the first 100s. When I was a first time founder, I was constantly asked to prove a $1Bn+ market and paths towards IPOs and exits. Instead I should have been solely focused on our unique value: helping 100s of millions of music consumers search, discover, and share as frictionless as possible. Sure, we need unicorns, but what we need more are companies that can reach their first $100M in valuations, through value creation and revenue generation as it sets the foundation for innovation and market competition. A robust venture ecosystem begins with supporting founders with diverse perspectives at the earliest stage. You can read more about our plan to help 50 companies reach $25M Annual Revenues in our newly released Impact Report: https://lnkd.in/gB5YsKqQ

We're thrilled to announce LOI Venture has placed an investment in Holdr founded by Aneesh Varshney and Buk Nkosi 🎶👏 What’s Holdr? As cofounder Aneesh Varshney puts it: “Holdr is the ultimate modernized fan club, where artists fuel their careers and fans get front-row seats to their favourite artists.” More technically speaking, it's solving a high demand problem in the world of music through simple software tools. Holdr empowers artists to unlock the full potential of their fanbases, offering a sustainable revenue stream that allows artist’s to partner with their top fans, all without sacrificing any ownership of their music and future. Holdr then tackles the challenge of fragmented fan engagement by providing a central platform for artists to aggregate their careers and connect with their communities. Aneesh and Buk are building a platform that champions inclusivity in the music industry, ensuring every artist can access resources and opportunities, leveling the playing field regardless of one’s background. Our team at LOI Venture couldn’t be more proud to be part of backing their journey. 🚀 #startups #technology #entrepreneurship #music

#NYC-based #Medallion secures $13.7M in Series A round #funding. Along with technology investors like Coinbase Ventures, Infinite Capital, J17, The Chernin Group, Third Prime, and Zeal Capital, Dragonfly and Lightspeed Faction led the round. In addition, #investors in the #music business include Guy Lawrence of Disclosure, Bill Silva Entertainment, Black Squirrel, Foundations Artist Management, Jungle, Mt. Joy, Method, Tiga, and TAG Music. The funds will be utilised by the company to speed up a technical roadmap aimed at providing artists with net new #revenue opportunities and community members with #immersive experiences centred around significant artist moments. Under the leadership of CEO Matt Jones, Medallion offers a direct-to-consumer platform designed to enable #musicians to connect with, interact with, and make money from their most loyal #supporters. The fragmented #relationship between artists and fans makes it difficult for artists to develop specialised creative #experiences and long-term business opportunities. Web3 technology called Medallion assists artists in creating virtual worlds to increase fan engagement, #practical insights, and financial possibilities. Medallion Infinite Capital J17 Capital Inc. Third Prime Zeal Capital Partners Dragonfly Bill Silva Black Squirrel Foundations Artist Management TAG MUSIC To share your startup story write us on - [email protected] #medallion #funding #startup

Hello everyone! Welcome back to another edition of 🌟Follow Friday🌟, where I spotlight three outstanding professionals from my network each week. My goal is to foster connections, promote learning, and encourage collaboration within our community. 🌍 Alice Albizzati As the Founding Partner at Revaia, a leading European pioneer in sustainable growth investing, Alice and her team are on a mission to 🔮 reveal a better future. Revaia is the trusted partner of mission-driven entrepreneurs with global ambitions and a commitment to sustainable leadership. From Series B to IPO and beyond, Revaia navigates growth-stage companies through their entire life cycle 🚀. Building bridges 🌉 between venture, private equity, and public markets, Revaia is a supportive sparring partner for entrepreneurs working to transform the world better. With offices in Paris 🇫🇷 and Berlin 🇩🇪, and a presence in North America 🇺🇸, Revaia's diverse team brings hands-on expertise and unique ESG know-how to the most promising technology scale-ups. 🎶 Stefán Heinrich H. As Co-Founder & CEO of mayk.it 🎧, Stefán's mission is to break down barriers in music production, making it universally accessible and empowering the next generation of music creators 🎵. Seeing the hurdles that many faced in music creation, he founded mayk.it with a vision to transform the industry. mayk.it is a virtual music studio where anyone can create a song, a sound, or tell a story right from their mobile and then distribute and monetize their creations 🎤📲. With hundreds of original beats, voice filters, and user-friendly editing tools, mayk.it is your studio on the go. 👔 Berthold Baurek-Karlic The enterprising Managing Partner at Venionaire Capital 💼, brings a keen business mind and sharp investment instincts to the dynamic venture capital field. His influence and insight have helped numerous startups find footing and scale new heights. 🎙️ In addition to his role at Venionaire Capital, Berthold adds depth to the discourse as a Board Member and Master of Ceremony at the World Venture Forum 🌍🚀. Here, set against the stunning backdrop of Austria's Kitzbühel 🏞️🇦🇹, he facilitates discussions, encourages dialogues and inspires individuals. 🤝 Over nine years and nine events, Berthold's leadership has been instrumental in shaping the World Venture Forum into a global convergence point for investors, founders, experts, and journalists. It's a platform where meaningful relationships are built and innovative ideas are shared. 👏🏼I hope you enjoyed this week's 🌟Follow Friday🌟 and are inspired to connect with these remarkable minds. Make sure to follow them and expand your network! Don't hesitate to reach out if you know someone who would be an excellent fit for this series. Let's continue to support and uplift each other in our professional journeys. #FollowFriday #professionalgrowth #NetworkingGems #CommunityConnections #IndustryLeaders

Music Ally SI:X global showcase, contest, and mentorship for early-stage music startups In association with Amazon Music, ASCAP Lab, The Raine Group, Red Bull Media House, Reed Smith LLP, & Universal Music Group, Music Ally SI:X will six startups in six categories, with the 36 chosen finalists to be profiled in Music Ally’s Q3 Startups Report. MediaTech Ventures is not directly affiliated; we're just sharing this because such a great percentage of the startups in our world are in MusicTech ❤ https://lnkd.in/g856djdr